7 Cozy Movies and TV Shows to Watch This Autumn

Autumn will be here before we know it, and there are a lot of ways to celebrate the season. From pumpkin carving to apple picking to sipping cider in front of a crackling fire, there are so many activities that go hand in hand with autumn. Certain movies and TV shows also fall into that category! Sure, you can rewatch them anytime, but if you really want to up the cozy factor, here are a few shows and movies to add to your watch list this autumn. We guarantee that the season will make them even more enjoyable to watch!

1. Gilmore Girls (2000)

Is there any show that screams “autumn” more loudly than Gilmore Girls? We think not! Practically a love letter to fall, this show features Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a fast-talking, coffee-loving mother-daughter duo who live in a small town in Connecticut. The show is so autumnal that many fans have dubbed September the “official Gilmore Girls rewatch month.” Some even refuse to watch the show until September rolls around! Fortunately for all you autumns out there (Gilmore Girls fans will get that reference), there are quite a few fall-centric episodes, including:

• Season 1, Episode 5: “Cinnamon’s Wake”
• Season 1, Episode 6: “Rory’s Birthday Parties”
• Season 2, Episode 4: “Road Trip to Harvard”
• Season 2, Episode 8: “The Ins & Outs of Inns”
• Season 3, Episode 7: “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?”
• Season 3, Episode 8: “Let the Games Begin”
• Season 3, Episode 9: “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving”
• Season 4, Episode 7: “The Festival of Living Art”
• Season 5, Episode 7: “You Jump, I Jump, Jack”
• Season 5, Episode 9: “Emily Says ‘Hello'”
• Season 6, Episode 5: “We’ve Got Magic to Do”
• Season 6, Episode 9: “The Prodigal Daughter Returns”
• Season 7, Episode 6: “Go Bulldogs”

2. You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Starring the dynamic duo of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, You’ve Got Mail is not only one of the best romcoms ever made, but it’s also extremely autumnal. “Don’t you love New York in the fall?” Joe Fox says in a voiceover at the very beginning of the movie. This movie makes us want to grab a fuzzy blanket and pour a cup of hot cider. There’s even a Thanksgiving scene! You can buy or rent You’ve Got Mail on YouTube and Amazon Prime. We’d definitely also recommend checking out the other great romcom starring Hanks and Ryan: Sleepless in Seattle. (That’s more of a winter movie, but it’s so good that you can enjoy it during the fall, too!)

3. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

No list of cozy autumn movies would be complete without a mention of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Fans and critics alike often regard this Peanuts classic as the best in the whole franchise, and it’s not hard to see why! Interestingly enough, this was the first Peanuts animated special to feature Lucy snatching away a football from Charlie Brown, though she’d done so plenty of times in the comic strip. While the story revolves around Halloween, which comes at the tail-end of autumn, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has enough pumpkins, leaves, and fall scenery to make it an autumn classic. And, of course, required viewing on Halloween.

4. Frasier

Frasier, like Gilmore Girls, spans all four seasons. Unlike Gilmore Girls, we wouldn’t be quick to label it an extremely autumn-centered show. However, this beloved sitcom has plenty of episodes that take place during the fall season. Plus, the drizzly setting and all-beige-everything give it an autumnal flair that makes it even more enjoyable during months that end in “‘ber.” As huge fans of Frasier, we know exactly which episodes evoke the most fall feelings. These include:

• Season 4, Episode 7: “A Lilith Thanksgiving”
• Season 4, Episode 18: “Ham Radio”
• Season 5, Episode 3: “Halloween”
• Season 7, Episode 9: “The Apparent Trap”
• Season 9, Episode 6: “Room Full of Heroes”
• Season 10, Episode 5: “Tales from the Crypt”

Side note: If you’ve never watched Frasier before, we highly recommend checking out the show in its entirety! It’s one of the wittiest and most well-written sitcoms to ever come out of Hollywood, with a cast of talented actors who bring every character to life. Frasier delivers coziness and laughter, whether you watch it in the fall or the spring!

5. Little Women (1994)

What do you get when you combine Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, and a pre-Batman Christian Bale? The greatest adaptation of Little Women ever made, of course! Okay, so that’s definitely subjective, and some might argue that the 2019 Greta Gerwig version is stiff competition for the 1994 classic. However, we still love Winona Ryder’s Little Women and think it’s the perfect movie to sit down and watch during autumn. Set in Concord, Massachusetts, during the Civil War, it boasts some truly gorgeous cinematography that showcases the famed New England fall foliage. Better yet, some scenes also take place during Christmas, making it the perfect cozy movie to watch any time of the year.

6. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

The Daily Ilini labeled When Harry Met Sally an “essential must-watch fall movie”, and we wholeheartedly agree with them! What scene is more autumnal than the one where Sally and Harry walk through Central Park with the leaves as their backdrop? Like the previous entry on our list, this romcom spans several seasons, so you can enjoy it during the autumn season and beyond. In fact (spoiler alert), the film’s penultimate scene takes place during a New Year’s Eve party!

7. Penelope (2006)

If there were an Underrated Movie Olympics, we feel that Penelope would be a gold medalist. Despite being one of the most unique movies we’ve ever seen, this modern-day fairy tale has never fully gotten its due. But don’t let the middling reception fool you. Penelope is a charming story with a cast of likable characters, funny moments, and a sweet message that packs an emotional punch. Penelope Wilhern, a young heiress, is normal in all aspects but one: she was born with a pig nose. In true fairy tale fashion, the curse can only be broken with true love. How that plays out might just surprise you! While Penelope falls into the “can-be-enjoyed-any-time-of-the-year-category”, the story does take place during autumn, with the ending scene falling on Halloween! So, if you love movies with whimsy and a whole lot of heart, be sure to check out Penelope this fall. We promise that it’s worth your time!

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